Claiming the first #1 album of the new decade, Harry Styles took 2020 by storm. His critically acclaimed Fine Line, cheekily self-described as an album about “having sex and feeling sad,” has since solidified his status as one of today’s most influential pop artists. A well-balanced mix of sunny, sing-along hits and refreshingly candid breakup songs, Fine Line boasts the praise of fans and industry tycoons alike. In celebration of his artistic and commercial success, Harry has been named Hitmaker of the Year by Variety Magazine.
Harry is featured in the fourth-ever Hitmakers issue, following the likes of Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar. In an exclusive interview, he recounts the making of Fine Line and seems to have enjoyed it as much as we enjoy listening to it. Instead of “playing it safe,” like he confesses to occasionally doing when crafting his 2017 self-eponymous debut, he found a way to write more openly and honestly and refine his evolving sound, drawing inspiration from Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and David Bowie, his own music idols. Ever the poetic lyricist, he quips, “There’s no part [of the album] that feels … icky.” Honestly, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Since its release, Fine Line has amassed a number of impressive achievements, most notably cementing Harry in the American market. Its leading singles, “Adore You” and “Watermelon Sugar,” have collectively received 1.7 million US radio spins, while the album itself earned Harry the title of top male album sales artist on Billboard’s Year-End Charts. In less than a year, Fine Line also accumulated over 3 billion global streams on Spotify.
While loyal fans have always attested to Harry’s musical talent, now industry moguls are following suit. Earlier this year, Rolling Stone Magazine included Fine Line in its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, affirming how it helped Harry “[stake] his claim as one of his generation’s most savagely imaginative musical minds.” The iconic singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, who has endearingly become one of Harry’s close friends, also spoke out and compared Fine Line to the beloved Fleetwood Mac classic Rumours. It doesn’t get much better than that.
As the new year approaches, fans sit tight in anticipation for the 2021 Grammy Awards airing in late January, for which Harry scored three nominations. When asked about them, he simply states, “It’s never the reason I do anything … I think it’s important when making any kind of art to remove the ego from it.”
Harry will also star in a leading role in Olivia Wilde’s upcoming psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling, speculated to release late next year. 2021 is already looking to be another exciting time for him and his followers, especially after his recent promise to “get back in the studio.” With all things considered, we have no choice but to stan.